Pompano Beach Seeking Promised Garbage Curbs

May 28, 1986|By Nancy E. Roman, Staff Writer

POMPANO BEACH -- City officials agreed Tuesday night to hire an attorney and ask for a written commitment from the Broward County government to provide maximum environmental controls for its garbage incinerator 1 1/2 miles north of the city, just moments after County Administrator Floyd Johnson promised to provide them.

``We have stipulated that we will use the best available control technology -- whatever the governmental authority (state Department of Environmental Regulation) requires that we use,`` Johnson said of the county`s garbage incinerator to be built in south Broward. ``We see no reason why we would not do the same thing on the north site.``

Attorney J. Alan Cox, who was hired by the city April 1 and then let go two weeks later amid a city disagreement about how to handle upcoming garbage- incinerator hearings, said he was thrilled with the outcome.

``It`s the best situation because we got exactly what we had planned to fight for,`` he said.

Since the county announced plans to build a $200 million north Broward incinerator that would burn garbage and recover glass and metals for recycling, environmentalists and scientists have expressed fears that pollution emitted from the plant could be dangerous.

Cox and the city`s expert witnesses had planned to fight for the most stringent environmental controls, referred to as best available control technology (BAST), at a series of upcoming hearings.

``Now we`re not going to have to do that,`` Cox said. ``We will agree with the county on the BAST controls to be used, and then present them to the hearing. Unless a third party shows up that we don`t know about, there should be no problem.``

The city also agreed to ask surrounding cities for verbal and financial commitments to help pay the legal costs of seeking the maximum environmental controls. ``This is not a Pompano problem,`` said Mayor E. Pat Larkins.

Ted Thomas, a city council member in Coconut Creek, said he expects his city to offer its financial support.